Huge legs of parma ham can often be seen hanging from large hooks on the ceiling in some delis, particularly Italian ones. Spanish ones will often have legs of Serrano ham on a huge wooden board and gripped by bolts to ensure easy slicing. You can buy the sliced parma to take home, but some delis will give you a platter with baby onions, olives and crusty bread to eat in or takeaway for lunch.

Delicatessens

Pate

A variety of delicious pates such as chicken, liver, pork and pistachio and vegetarian pates can be purchased in delis or made into baguettes to takeaway. Often in large pottery containers, you merely say how much you want and it will be cut and packaged for you.

Delicatessens

Quiche

Wow! Amazing selections of handmade quiches are always available to try, with a huge combination of flavours and pastry types. Most popular are usually the standard cheese and bacon (quiche Lorraine) or a rich roasted vegetable. Can be purchased in slices or some delis make small individual ones. They can be packed for takeaway to include a selection of salads.

Delicatessens, Cafes

Sandwiches

Always available to takeaway, a large variety of sandwich fillings can be purchased and made with the fresh bread on sale in the deli, or already made for you to choose. Great fun to mix and match your sandwich or baguette fillings and try a number of things that you may not normally eat. Very fresh and made to order is the way to go.

Delicatessens

Tarts

Selection of delicious fruit tarts, either individual or large and all made by hand. Delicate pastry with a creamy custard base with all kinds of fruit from apples to berries. Often with a jelly glaze they are pretty delicious. Other traditional tarts and desserts are available, and sometimes hot puddings such as bread and butter pudding and sticky toffee pudding – watch your waistline!

Delicatessens, Dessert

Packet Snacks

Many varieties of crisps or potato chips of all flavours are sold, along with chipsticks, mini crackers, Twiglets, chocolate bars, cereal bars and other sweets. Muffins such as chocolate and blueberry in packets are also readily available, and even many small pies (pork pies or chicken pies) for another savoury snack for lunch. Vegetarian options on snacks have increased over the last five to 10 years, including vegetable crisps and vegetable chews.

Sandwich Bar, Cafes

Fruit

You will usually find a selection of standard fresh fruit available such as apples, bananas, oranges – but also there will frequently be a large bowl of fresh fruit salad with yoghurts. The fruit salad is put into a plastic or polystyrene container to take away, with a carton of yoghurt of your choice and a plastic spoon.

Health Bar, Sandwich Bar, Salad

Cheese

Probably the most interesting cabinet in a deli, they all stock a big range of English and Continental cheeses as well as unusual artisan cheeses made by small local producers. All the usual cheeses are available, particularly standard ones such as English Cheddar and Stilton, and French bried and Camembert but do try the more unusual ones. Cheeses are cut to size you require from big blocks, and can be made into a lunchbox with salad, pickles and crusty fresh bread.

Delicatessens

Wraps

Probably one of the most popular choices for a quick lunch or snack are the selection of wraps normally available. Fresh ingredients always used, fillings consist of prawn, chicken, crab, lobster and totally vegetarian. Always with a crisp salad garnish, the wraps are usually available in white, rye or wholewheat.

Health Bar, Sandwich Bar

Sandwiches

Sandwich bars in the UK have really progressed over the years – no more soggy bread and boring fillings! Amazing selections of fillings are now available, including continental meats and cheeses, vegetable mixes. Traditional sandwich fillings such as cheese and pickle, ham salad etc no longer take priority, and discerning punters are going for more ‘exotic’ fillings with a continental theme – sandwich of the year was a ‘Chicken Provencale with Griddled vegetables in 2012. A variety of breads such as ciabatta, olive bread, walnut bread etc. now makes the old English sandwich no longer boring but enjoyable to eat.

Sandwich Bar

Baguettes

Becoming more popular in the UK are the variety of baguettes available, not just the fillings but the bread itself – white, wholemeal, rustic, walnut, olive – you name it! Fillings have become more exotic too, using continental meats and cheeses, chicken mixes such as Coronation chicken (very English and flavoured with curry). But still the bacon and egg breakfast baguette or hot sausage baguette remains supreme in choice for that early morning ‘snack’. More and more sandwich bars are now owned by Far Eastern partnerships and feature baguettes with Oriental fillings for that extra something different.

Sandwich Bar

Toasted Sandwiches

Probably a big favourite in most sandwich bars and cooked either on a grill or in a Panini press, Italian style. Huge variety of fillings – you can pick your fillings and they will make it in front of you. Variety of bread and rolls used, but cheese is always popular as it melts and oozes! Croque Monsieur is very popular (gruyere cheese and ham French style) as this is also buttered on the outside before grilling or sometimes frying. Croque Madame includes a fried egg as well.

Sandwich Bar

Hot Soup

A variety of hot soups are normal sold, served from large barrel shaped tureens or soup kettles placed on the counter. Soups are usually simple such as tomato and basil, mushroom or vegetable. Normal served in polystyrene cups to take away.

Sandwich Bar, Cafes

Milkshakes

A selection of milkshakes can be available some to include ice cream, an others made more into a dessert style with nuts and chocolate on the top. Usual flavours are vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and butterscotch, but banana is also popular in some delis. Can be taken away in the usual takeout cups with lids and straw.

Delicatessens

Cappucino

Always available to drink, cappuccino coffee can sometimes be drunk inside if the deli has tables, or taken away. Variety of other coffees, teas, cold drinks are also available. Coffee is normally served with delicate little Italian biscuits, usually almond flavoured.

Delicatessens

Fizzy Drinks

Great selection of the popular fizzy canned drinks are sold, including Coke, Sprite, Orangeade, and also energy drinks have increased in popularity in the last few years. Natural and carbonated spring waters are also available in the cold cabinets as are plenty of fruit juices in plastic bottles and cartons with straws.

Sandwich Bar

Coffee

All sandwich bars normally have an elaborate coffee machine, serving cappuccino, mocha, latte, skinny latte, Americanos and macchiatos. Plain black or white coffee, as well as tea, are always available – if you are really lucky, you may find frappaccino as well!